The Half Fury
by neobendium
Summary: Avengers and the Half Fury REBOOT, new plot and better characterization (I hope). A fluffy and adventurous story about a girl with dragon wings and a tail that is taken in as the Avengers' problem child. Rated for gore, graphic descriptions, language, and possible triggers involving suicide, abuse, drug use, and cutting.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. I know it's been a while, and I know I just left with little to no explaination. But now I'm back. I will not be continuing any of the stories that I started before, no matter how much you beg or plead. I don't even want to look back on them. My writing style and plot development was, frankly, horrifying. However, I have returned as a newer, better me, and with me comes the rebooted version of "Avengers and the Half Fury". The plot isn't the same. In fact, the only thing the same is the character and the basic personality of the story. I will be trying to update once a month or more.**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

 _ **Chapter 1**_

There's a legend that's been told, generation to generation, of a strange creature roaming the snow-capped peaks and thick pine forests of the northern reaches of the world. The creature is half man, half beast, with leathery wings black as ebony and glowing eyes that pierce the soul. It has been said that it can create eerie blue flames in its hands and launch them with startling precision. No one has seen this and lived to tell the tale, at least no one in the last few centuries. Sometimes, it seems as if the legend has died, because no one sees the thing for a hundred years or more. But then it will resurface, a story of a modern survivor will be told, and the legend lives on.

It has never been proven as true. Until now.

In the dark woods of southwestern Montana, a screen door creaked open and a teenage girl stepped outside. She shifted her backpack on her back and took a deep breath, brown eyes peering out at the imposing trees surrounding the house and the nearby highway. Slowly, carefully, she pulled her hood up to shroud her face in darkness and eased the door shut again, latching it behind her to ensure it wouldn't blow open in the breeze and wake anyone up. Then she started off, her shoes lightly crunching in the gravel of the driveway. She didn't look back, or pause at all, until she had walked about a mile following the darkened road and the rushing, tumbling river.

She clicked her small flashlight on and shined it down at the map she held, squinting at it as she figured out where she had to go to get to the nearest city. It would be a long walk, of nearly seventy miles, and it would take at least three days to get there. It would be worth it though. She started walking again, tucking the map into her pocket and shining the flashlight in front of her.

The girl froze when the sound of an engine approached and she flicked the light off, diving into the ditch near the road a moment later. Waiting with bated breath, she watched as a man stepped from the stopped car and approached the ditch, a flashlight held in his hand. He swept it over the area surrounding her and grumbled something. "Get out here, Erika," he ordered gruffly, his scowl only getting bigger as she didn't reply. "I'm giving you five seconds to get your ass in the back seat," the man snarled after a moment, "And if you don't, I'll put you in there myself."

The girl in question tightened her jaw and started edging toward the river, knowing she could get away from him if she could just make it there. Water wasn't her favorite thing in the world, but she'd deal with it if it meant her escape attempt would come to fruition.

She didn't make it. The man marched over as soon as his alleged five seconds were finished, pinpointing her position when she stood and made a break for the water. Just as she was about to dive in, he grasped her backpack in a rough hand and yanked her back harshly. "You even took my favorite sweater," he spat, dragging her backward and away from freedom. He pulled her to the car and opened the door, ignoring her pleas and struggling as he tossed her inside with as much care and sympathy that a lion takes with its prey.

"Give me the backpack," he demanded, holding his hand out as Erika pushed herself into a sitting position.

"No," the girl muttered sullenly in reply.

His face darkened and he surged forward, forcing her backward with his hands around her throat and pinning her to the seat. "You would do well to not refuse me next time," he snapped, glaring at her as she choked and tried to pry him off. "I said to give me the backpack."

With panic rising in her chest as her breathing was cut off further, Erika slammed her feet into his stomach with a sudden rush of strength, sending him falling back. She felt...strange, like something new was running through her veins, something hot and stinging. "And I said to keep your hands off of me," she growled, shrugging the pack off her back and stepping forward. Hate, bred by years of fear and pain, were the only things in her cold gaze now.

The pain in her intensified, but she hardly felt it anymore as she approached the man, who was standing and starting at her with confusion in his gaze. Fire sprang into existence in her palms, the blue flames illuminating her angered face and wild black hair. She wasn't sure exactly what she was doing or feeling as she launched the ball of fire at him, nor did she really care. This man had caused her so much pain through her life, she decided that he deserved this. She watched with a blank expression and uncaring eyes as he burned, the flames consuming him, and with him her prison.

A pang of guilt hit her after she fully realized what had happened, after the adrenaline had passed. But it didn't take much time to pass, as she had much more pressing matters to deal with at the moment- one being the intense pain in her spine, and the growing weight on her shoulders and back. With a small limp in her step, she approached the car and looked into the side mirror, jumping back slightly at the sight. Two large black wings had erupted from her back, and shreds of her late father's grey sweatshirt were clinging to them. She glanced down and saw a long tail, with black fins on either side of it, winding down from under said damaged sweatshirt.

Panic once again clenched her chest in a vise and she threw back her hood in terror to get a better look at her eyes, which had been brown her entire life until this moment. Now they were a dark forest green, and glowing ever so slightly. And her head...slowly, and with trembling hands, she reached up and lightly touched the top of it. Were those some kind of ear? And horns in between them? What the hell had happened to her? As she brought her arms back down and saw the shiny black scales dotting the backs of her hands, she realized that she couldn't stay here, especially since it was going to be morning in a few hours.

Erika let out a breath and closed her eyes, trying to think of a plan, trying to calm herself down enough so she could get away. She wasn't sure if she could even fly, if her new wings would be able to handle her weight, or if she would crash as soon as she launched herself up. Would she even know how to fly?

Only one way to find out, she supposed. With a sigh, she pulled her backpack on again and wriggled around until it was settled comfortably on her back and between her wings. ...That thought was still weird to her. Finally, and with hesitant steps, she passed the burnt remains of her abuser and started running toward the river. She jumped off the bank and at first, thought she was going to simply plummet down into the raging, swirling floodwaters. But then something caught. She felt the wings on her back move and her tail flick out, and her body was yanked to an abrupt halt. Instead of falling, she was floating in the air, her tail and toes dangling just inches above the water.

A giddy laugh escaped her as she figured out how to make herself go up, and she soared up with lightness of heart and the ever elusive taste of freedom on her tongue. She could go anywhere, she realized, anywhere at all, and she could get there on her own. So she pointed herself east and started flying, the wind rushing through her hair and horns and the cool whistling of it in her ears, reminding her that she was finally free.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys. As promised, another chapter by the month time limit. I am so glad for the response this has gotten already. I hope you all continue to enjoy it. I will try to get Chapter Three out in a month's time.**

 _ **Chapter 2**_

It might have been because she had almost no experience with the outside world, or the fact that she was dazed from all these...developments, but Erika hadn't realized before that freedom, however sweet, came at a price. Her newfound independence meant she had to figure out where she would get the money for food and clothing, and that she had to find shelter for the night wherever she chose to go.

That wouldn't be so hard if it wasn't for two factors- her father's credit cards were maxed out (likely from all the alcohol he bought), and she had newfound powers and large appendages stuck to her body that she needed to worry about. So she only flew at night, and stuck to remote areas when she could. But she was ultimately drawn to New York City, and all the opportunities it held. That's where she was now, sitting atop a skyscraper with her feet dangling off the edge as her green eyes scanned the city. She was deep in thought, a frown creasing her face.

During the day, she could hide her wings under a large stolen hoodie, and wrap her tail around herself so it would be hidden as well. The hood would hide those ear things. The only problem was finding a place free of people that she could scamper off to if things got hairy. Somewhere...like that? Her eyes narrowed as she peered at the Brooklyn Bridge and she stood, pursing her lips. It was worth checking out.

Erika stretched out, adjusting her heavy backpack as she did. After taking a deep breath, she started running and leapt off the building, plummeting several hundred feet before she finally decided to snap her wings open. They caught her and sent her soaring evenly along the river, the speed from her descent gradually decreasing as she neared the bridge. She flapped her leathery wings a few times and swung her feet out to catch the edge of the bridge, her hands grasping one of the many thick metal wires helping to hold it up. If this was going to be her base, she would have to figure out a way to climb down without revealing her wings to onlookers. She bit her lip and chewed for a few moments before a realization hit her.

The hybrid stepped backward and fell a few feet before she grabbed the bottom edge of the bridge and swung herself over, up, and under it. She managed to get enough momentum to land on one of the crossbeams supporting it and grinned. Yes, this would do just fine. The beams were only occupied by birds and the occasional confused bat. She could balance across the beams to a back corner and settle down there. And if anyone came in...the lazy East River below would be an open escape route.

"Home, sweet home," she muttered to herself as she took off the backpack and dropped it in the corner, before sitting down and leaning against it with a heavy sigh. She drifted off to sleep a moment later, exhausted from the day's proceedings.

She lived like this for nearly a year and a half, passing her sixteenth and seventeenth birthdays as she did so. Her income was comprised of money she found in the gutters, little bits she got from scrapping metal, plastic, and glass, and, of course, the occasional pickpocketing. If she was really desperate, she'd steal from second hand stores and street vendors, but she tried to only take what she really needed. Sometimes she'd get caught trying to pick a pocket, but she could get away quickly before the police even arrived, and these usually didn't end in aggressive encounters.

When it did, her attackers did not get out unscathed due to her panic reflexes, and most didn't leave alive. After each of these incidents, her guilt grew further and she didn't make a reappearance for several days. People's blood was on her head, and that was something she tried not to think about.

One one of these more desperate days, she happened to choose a victim that wasn't going to just drop the chase. Erika was walking along the sidewalk near the bridge she was about to cross when her eyes settled on a tall blond man wearing some kind of team jacket and baseball cap. He was distracted, conversing with a few others- a redhead wearing sunglasses, a muscular blond man standing next to hear wearing red-tinted glasses, and a smirking African-American looking extremely pleased with himself. This would be easy. She took in a breath and pulled her hood lower, slowing her walk as she approached them. Her hands were buried deep in her pockets but she slipped her left hand out as she passed them, her fingers slipping into the man's back pocket and tugging the wallet out. She shoved it in her own pocket only a second later, resuming her walk as if she were completely innocent.

Erika thought she'd gotten away with it, as she had taken about five steps and was approaching the entry point to her little hideout and so far, nothing had happened. But then a calm voice rang out from behind her. "Hey, kid." She just kept walking, shoulders tensing ever so slightly. "Kid. You in the black hoodie."

She took a deep breath and plastered on a slightly annoyed expression, turning around to look harshly at the blonde man, who was standing a few feet away from her with his friends behind him. "Yeah? What do you want?" She asked, crossing her arms and tensing her jaw. "I've got places to be." She had learned early on that being aggressive and acting like you belong reaps rewards.

"You take my wallet?" The simple question was aimed at her in a calm voice, but the accusation, accompanied by that cool blue eyed gaze, put her on edge for some reason. And his friends weren't helping. The redhead and the other blond were standing on either side of him, their lips drawn into a thin line. The other guy was pinning her with a narrow eyed glare, arms akimbo.

Erika raised an eyebrow. "Do you ask teenagers that as a hobby or something?" She shot back. "I've never seen your wallet before in my life." The girl turned, and started to keep walking, before she heard a different voice, more gravelly and much less soft.

"Then you won't mind turning out your pockets."

"Yes, actually I would-" She turned, stepping back as she saw the other blond approaching her, almost threateningly. Erika backed herself up to the edge of the bridge and scrambled over the concrete wall put there to keep people from falling. Clinging to the cross wires, she shouted a challenge. "One more step and I jump!"

They all stopped moving. The first man spoke, much more gentle this time. "Look kid, my wallet isn't worth your life. I won't press charges if you'll just climb back over and give the wallet back. Okay?"

What he didn't know was that she'd survive her 'fall'. Erika stayed silent, debating this. This wallet...it could be her ticket. Her opportunity to eat regularly for a month or more. Her knuckles were turning white from clinging to the wire, but she didn't care. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the redhead start moving forward. "I said stop moving!" She shouted, jerking back as if she were about to let go...and did. She tumbled from the edge, letting out a rather fake shriek of surprise, and barely making out a few profanities and panicked shouts from the people up above. As usual, she gripped the edge of the beam and swung herself in, allowing her tail to flick out to help her balance herself out once she was inside and safe from view. Hopefully they'd think she'd fallen all the way down and hit the water- none of them could have seen her swing in. A small half grin made its way onto her face as she stood up and started to balance her way along the crossbeams to her little cubby.

It had evolved over the years, and had grown into a bit more than it was at the start. She had a small mattress rolled out and three ratty blankets tossed on top, another blanket rolled up that she used as a pillow placed at the head of the bed. Three backpacks were next to the bed- one containing her clothes, one containing food, and another for random useful items and hygienic materials, such as a pack of tissues, a can opener, a bar of soap, and a mostly used stick of deodorant.

Erika took off her sweatshirt and tossed it onto the mattress. Sighing, she plopped down crosslegged on her bed and opened the wallet, peering inside. Cash. There was so much- enough for food for a month or more, even for a pair of cheap new shoes or a nice coat...or who knows, a few full outfits from the second hand stores. Joyfully, she pressed her hand to her mouth to keep an excited, trembling squeal from escaping.

A tiny laugh leapt from her mouth and she fell back, her wings on ether side of her and curling around her like a tent. Clutching the wallet to her chest, she felt her troubles lift momentarily. Erika closed her eyes and let out a long breath, her smile impossibly wide. Her happiness was short lived, however. A thud, and the ringing of metal followed by a few tapping sounds, alerted her to intruders. She shot into a sitting position, her wings flared out and her eyes wide, her ears standing straight up.

Nothing happened.

Eyes narrowed, Erika folded her wings to her back and wrapped her tail around herself as she peered around the shadowy bridge. Her heart was pounding in her ears and she was finding it hard to breathe. That thud...it was no bird, but...she didn't see anything unusual. Frowning deeply, the girl tucked the stolen wallet into a backpack pocket and stood up, the veins in her arms starting to pulse blue in preparation for a fight. Focusing on not panicking, she slowly began to balance along a beam, peering around with tensed shoulders.

She heard a twang, and leapt back just in time to see an arrow fly past her face and imbed itself into a crossbeam. She stayed frozen in silent terror before she turned around to see the second blond man from earlier, with another arrow notched and aimed at her chest. Her ears went flat and she backed up a tiny bit before lashing out one hand. Fire leapt from her palms, the blue plasma flames sailing toward him. He rolled out of the way. She aimed again...and was met with a kick to the side.

Erika lost balance and fell, managing to twist in the air and land on her back. The redhead was on top of her, hands on her shoulders and her knees on either side of her waist. A humming noise screeched in her ears and she let out a small cry as electricity surged through her body from the woman's wrists. Struggling to stay awake, she managed to kick the redhead off, sending her flipping over to the next beam. The dragon hybrid scrambled to her feet and leapt away from the two attackers to the next beam, keeping them in her sights.

She aimed again to shoot plasma at them, but a crushing blow to the chin sent her reeling back. Dizzy, and with her vision going black, she just managed to make out the tall blond man that she'd pickpocket from. His face was twisted into a frown and his raised fist was bloody. Then she fell. The girl plummeted, and she tried to flap her wings, to fly, but to no avail. The fall was too short, and the surprise attacks, and her already poor physical condition, had left her too weak to catch herself. She slammed into the water back first and sunk like a rock. She tried to swim, but that, too, failed, and she was left sinking, watching the light from the surface disappear and brown, murky water take its place.

Erika's vision started fading and her lungs were begging for air, her head pounding with the struggle to stay awake, to fight, to breathe. But even she had to give up. As she began to close her eyes, a flurry of bubbles and a flash of some kind of metal wing caught her attention. And right as her vision went black, a hand grasped her wrist.

She vaguely felt herself being pulled out of the river, felt her chest being roughly pushed on and someone counting, keeping time. Erika coughed and spluttered and coughed again, and her entire body ached...but somehow she knew she was alive. Numbly, she felt herself being lifted from the ground and carried, quiet voices and an engine running. And then she felt nothing at all.


	3. Chapter 3

**And another chapter out! A huge thanks to my followers and reviewers for showing their support in my endeavor. Please don't forget to review, it really helps me to get motivated for the next chapter. As always, I hope you enjoy!**

 ** _Chapter 3_**

"She has wings," was his first sentence. Tony's voice was quiet, and he kept his tone dull and uninterested to keep up his facade of uncaring. His arms were crossed and his head tilted slightly, brown eyes tracing the girl's extra appendages with the hungry, glittering eyes of a scientist with a new project.

"That's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Sam shot back rather dryly, looking down at the unconscious teen they'd brought to Stark Tower.

Steve entered the medbay, having shed his nice clothes for some more comfortable jeans and a t-shirt. "Any idea who she is?" he asked. "She's dangerous. We need to know what she stands for, and what we can and should do with her."

"I'll look her up," Tony offered, leaving their prisoner on the table and heading over to his computers. After a few minutes of typing, he broke the silence that had settled between them. "Where're the assassins?"

"Contacting some people about possible prisons," Sam answered, locking the girl's right wrist to her cot with a pair of Stark's high-quality handcuffs. Tony just hummed in response.

Steve frowned, glancing over at him. "So soon? We don't even know what or who she is yet."

"I know it may seem premature, but she nearly took Clint's head off with that blue fire thing when he scared her. If she's hostile, we need a place that will keep her secure."

"Good point."

A few more minutes of silence was present before Tony spun around in his seat, a few papers clutched in his hands. "'Hostile' include crimes committed in self-defense?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Let's go over it with everybody." As he left the room with the two other men in tow, he glanced up at the ceiling. "FRIDAY, let us know when she wakes up, and tell the others to meet us in the boardroom."

 _Okay, boss._

Within a few minutes, everyone was crowded around the long table- Sam, Clint, Wanda, Steve, Tony, Natasha, Vision, and even the visiting Rhodey. Tony handed out the papers documenting who their newest problem was and sat himself down.

"Three known murders, five more suspected?" Rhodey raised his eyebrows as he scanned the papers.

Wanda read the next line. "All in self-defense," she pointed out, frowning slightly.

"And she is a minor- who, may I point out, was living under a bridge," Steve stated. "It's pretty obvious that whoever she killed probably weren't good people."

"She was abused." Clint's voice was stern, almost, and he wasn't looking at the papers.

"Where does it say that?" Sam frowned, reading the words on the page quickly. "All it says is that her father died under mysterious circumstances."

The archer sat up a little straighter. "Didn't you see her scars? Those weren't from combat- there were too many, and several of them were old. Someone was regularly hurting her a lot for several years. We don't know when she got her wings, or what her father was like, but I think it's a safe bet that she killed him before running away."

Natasha was silent, her lips pursed as she thought. "We should give her a chance."

The room froze. Wanda and Vision glanced at each other, then back to the assassin. Vision's voice rang out first. "Why? All evidence suggests she is not a good person."

"Neither are we," was her reply. She glanced up, her face blank but her eyes speaking more than any words could. The red-haired assassin stared them all down from across the table. "Let's be honest here, none of us are really stellar examples of how to behave yourself."

Tony scoffed. "Speak for yourself." Steve gave him a stern look. "Ahem…..right. So we give her a chance. Say she does good, she's a decent person, yaddayaddayadda…. what then?"

"We offer her a place on the team?" suggested Wanda quietly.

Rhodey shook his head. "Look, I know I'm probably not the best person to be suggesting things, but….I'd say you should just take it a minute at a time. Decide then, don't try to plan so far in advance."

 _Boss. She's coming to._

Tony glanced up at the ceiling. "Right. We shouldn't all go in there at once, don't need to scare her, right?"

"Pretty sure she's already been scared," Sam muttered under his breath. No one answered, save for a few annoyed glances.

"I'll go in," Steve volunteered; "With Wanda. If the kid tries to fight, Wanda will be able to take her down fast. The rest of you should wait outside. Clint, in the vents."

The others nodded and scrambled to their respective places. Steve and Wanda started for the door.

* * *

Something cold was wrapped around her wrist. That was the first thing that registered in Erika's brain as the blackness began to lift. Next was the chemical stench that surrounded her, and that noise. That whining, beeping noise as if there were machines surrounding her. Then was the pain. Her entire body ached, but her chin especially was smarting, as well as her lungs and wings. Slowly, her vision started fading back in, revealing brightly lit white tiles above her.

The girl didn't register the fact of where she was until a second later. Erika shot up, clutching her stomach and coughing violently. She recovered from her fit rather quickly and groaned, hanging her head down as she focused on not getting dizzy and passing out again. She let out a slow, shuddering breath and lifted her eyes, the green orbs tracing the room frantically. Where was she? It was a stark contrast from the dirty bridge she'd learned to call home.

Deciding that wherever she was didn't matter and she should probably just scram, the hybrid moved to get up...and was jerked to an abrupt halt. Erika turned her head with a frown and instantly realized that she was stuck. Her right wrist was cuffed to the bed with a thick pair of handcuffs, the metal cold, tight, and confining and very, very strong. Panic clenched around her chest almost as tightly as the cuffs were on her wrist. Whimpering, she yanked on them but to no avail- they were fastened tightly.

She brought her left hand around and aimed it at the metal railing of the cot, her ear flaps pressing tightly to her head as the telltale whining noise of her fire filled the room. Her veins pulsed blue. Fire began forming in her palm...

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

She jumped, whipping around and letting the ball of blue plasma fly at the man in the doorway as her ears flew into an alert position. It hit the shield he was holding and bounced off, hitting the wall to the side of him instead and leaving a burn mark on the smooth paint. Erika froze at the sight of the shield, and realization clicked. She'd stolen _Captain America's_ wallet. She shrunk in on herself as he entered the room, her eyes darting from his face to the silent girl behind him. "Don't...don't touch me," she growled, trying to seem hostile. Her attempts failed quite miserably, given the wobble in her voice and the terrified look in her eyes. Her ear flaps were pressed to her head again, and her tail was wrapped around her, her wings folded tightly to her back as if she could hide them.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the man promised, raising his hands. He circled her and settled a hand on a chair, pulling it up to the side of her bed. "I just want to talk," he continued, leaning the shield on his chair.

She swallowed, her eyes going back to the girl standing in the doorway. She was examining her, suspicion evident in her gaze. Erika decided she was not her concern at this moment in time, and she looked back to Cap, her gaze still utterly terrified and quite confused.

"Who are you?"

She pressed her lips together, her ears pressing even tighter to her head and her shoulders hunching.

He sighed quietly, obviously disappointed. "Come on kid, I just want your name."

"Why?" Erika's voice was quiet, very nearly a quavering whisper.

"So I know what to call you."

Her eyes met his and they stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, one gaze calm and the other panicked. "Sarah," she finally said.

"She's lying." The girl spoke up from the doorway, her voice thick with some kind of accent that Erika couldn't place. She flinched at the accusation, the cuffs rattling as she moved. Her fingers flexed and she avoided Cap's steady gaze, her eyes locked instead on the blankets under her. A heavy sigh emitted from the man and she heard him standing up.

"I'm going to let you loose, okay?" his voice was soft and calming as he reached toward her. "That's all I'm doing. Then you're going to answer my questions." Erika froze, her eyes wide and her breath still as his hand took hold of the cuffs. He pressed his thumb to a scanner and a beeping noise rang out from them. They folded into themselves and released her wrist, which she promptly yanked away from him and cradled to her chest. "Now-" he was cut off as Erika's foot slammed into his chest and sent him flying backward.

He blinked at the ceiling, stunned momentarily as a blast of red energy flew over him and hit the wall. He struggled to stand and was just in time to see their prisoner springing at Wanda, blue fire hitting red energy in the air and both fizzling out. Just as Erika was about to hit her second target, the shield slammed into her side from across the room. A sharp cry erupted from her as she fell. She landed awkwardly on her side, clutching her stomach with her left hand. Her right rose up and her veins pulsed blue as she backed herself up and aimed at her two attackers.

Something twanged from above and she turned around just in time to see a chain net unfolding above her. Erika moved to bolt but it was too late- the chains tangled her wings and dragged her down, trapping her under its heavy weight. As she struggled to sort herself out, she felt a hand brush against her temple and suddenly she was back in her past, the place she had worked so hard to forget.

* * *

Steve watched as their prisoner writhed on the floor, curled in on herself with cries and pitiful whimpers rising from under the net. Wanda was crouched over her, her arms trembling and tears brimming in her eyes. Finally, both of them went still and he just managed to steady his teammate before she fell. He looked at her face with a questioning raise of his brows.

Wanda met his eyes and shook her head. "Clint was right," she whispered.

He nodded. "Alright. Let's...let's take her to a cell. We'll figure this out when she wakes up. Hopefully we can talk her into being peaceable."

A nod was his only answer as he started to untangle the girl.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, another chapter for you! Hope you all enjoy it. Don't forget to drop a review, and if there's anything you feel I could improve on or something you'd like to see, please tell me!**

 ** _Chapter 4_**

 **Trigger warning- Self-harm mentioned**

He was sitting at the foot of her bed. Staring. Just staring. Her father, with his burned face and singed clothing, his bloodshot eyes glaring at her from under a browless frown. Whispers surrounded her from the dark, unknown voices accusing her.

Erika whined, bringing her legs up to her chest and hugging them. Her ears were pressed to her head and her wings folded tightly against her back. She rested her forehead on her knees and shut her eyes tightly as the voices grew louder. She could make out what they were saying now. _Murderer. Monster. Failure._

A sob escaped her as images flashed before her eyes- her father, burnt, leaning against the tree. Her blood-filled hands, the red liquid pooling in her palms from the body at her feet. A smooth white wall, the paint marred by splatters of blood and the charred remains of what once was a human. The whispers got louder, their ghostly voices echoing around her. A ringing filled her ears as the images slipped away and she lifted her head to see the darkness closing in on her, her father's hate-filled eyes glittering from the shadows. The ringing got louder. The voices screamed at her. Blackness wrapped around her vision.

And then everything went still.

Erika shot up, her eyes glassy and her body quivering violently. Tears were pooling in her eyes, huge droplets slowly slipping down her face. She stared at the far wall for a few minutes, completely still save for the shaking of her shoulders as she cried. Guilt was crushing her, her body felt like it was being pulled apart from the suffocating feeling.

The voices were right. That really was all that she was. A monster. A murderer. She let out a shuddering breath and fell onto her side, curling up into a tight ball with her wings and tail wrapped around her like a cocoon. She knew she was somewhere new because the walls around her were thick panes of glass and she was in a different bed. But now she didn't really care. She lay there despondently, sniffling and hiccuping occasionally and hot tears falling from her face.

A tapping sound alerted her to someone's presence. She jumped and curled tighter, moving one wing up slightly to peek out. It was the other blond man, the one with the gravelly voice. Erika's lip trembled and she ducked back under the safe canopy of her wings.

She froze as the door whooshed open and footsteps approached her.

"Hey." The voice was soft and soothing, despite the almost gruff undertone. She heard the bed hinges squeak as he sat down next to her. "Let me look at you."

Initially, she wanted to refuse. But then she realized...these were the Avengers. There'd be no escape for her, but maybe, just maybe, they'd let her go if she cooperated. She stayed still for a moment longer before sighing and uncurling. She sat up with her tail in her lap and her wings folded to her back. Her ears were pressed to her head and she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"You look terrible."

Erika's shoulders hunched and she looked away, licking her lips as her stomach growled loudly as if to agree with his statement. She toyed with the sleeve of her dirty sweater, trying to ignore the scratches on the backs of her hands from the metal net.

Clint sighed as he looked the girl over. She was too thin. Her clothes were tattered and grimy. She had deep bags under her eyes and bruises on her face. Her hair was tangled and dirty and looked like it hadn't been washed for...a while.

She glanced at him. Those green eyes were huge and scared, red-rimmed and bloodshot. Tear stains streaked down her face. She looked away almost as quickly as she had met his gaze.

"Are you hungry?" He asked quietly.

The girl shook her head slightly, the movement nearly invisible. Her quavering whisper was barely audible. "...no," she denied.

"How long has it been since you ate?" Was his next question.

A shrug was his only reply. She was staring at the floor and her arms were crossed tightly, shoulders tense.

Clint scratched at his chin, thinking. "What's your name?"

Silence.

"You know we aren't out to hurt you, right, kid?"

Her lip quivered slightly before she bit down on it to keep it from showing.

"Look..." he stood up before kneeling in front of her hunched form, capturing her eyes with his even as she flinched away from him. "...I promise you that we aren't going to do anything to you. Okay? We're the good guys."

She swallowed thickly and nodded ever so slightly.

Clint stood again. "So what's your name?"

The winged girl pressed her lips together and stayed still for a second. Finally, she answered. "Erika."

He smiled slightly. "Well, Erika. My name is Clint. Do you want to eat?"

She hesitated, then nodded.

"You need to promise me that you won't try to run away when I let you out."

The girl held out her wrists as a response, quietly waiting for him to cuff her. Clint frowned as his eyes caught on the marks slicing across them. She'd cut before. Swallowing thickly, he reached out and pushed one of her sleeves up, revealing scars halfway up her forearm, most neat slices from a blade. The girl trembled, turning her head away from him as tears made her eyes glassy. Sighing quietly, he pulled the sleeve back down and backed up to give her space. "I'm not going to cuff you," was all he said.

She nibbled on her bottom lip and nodded again, shoving her hands in her hoodie's pockets. "Okay." She wouldn't meet his gaze.

The man sighed. "Alright. Come on." Clint walked over to the door to the cell and unlocked it, holding it open for her. She walked through, head ducked down. He led the way through the hallways, glancing behind him every few seconds. The girl- Erika- was quiet, walking obediently behind him with tense shoulders. Her tail was dragging on the carpet, flicking every so often.

He led her into the large living room and into the kitchen. Vision was sitting on the couch, Wanda asleep on his lap. His eyes followed her, and Erika felt his eyes boring into her head. His eyes narrowed slightly. He clearly didn't trust her.

Erika swallowed, shivering, and quickened her pace to catch up to Clint. The man was opening the fridge. "What do you like? Pizza? Mashed potatoes? Steak?"

She hesitated. "I..." she wasn't sure if she should make a request.

"It's alright. I offered," he said, smiling encouragingly.

Erika shifted from foot to foot. "Pizza. Please."

"A couple slices of pizza coming right up!" The man announced with a grin.

"N-no, I only need one-" her nervous stuttering was cut off when he fixed her with a stern look.

"You're skin and bones, you look practically starving," Clint stated gruffly, tossing three pieces of pizza on a plate and placing it in the microwave. "You're eating more than one slice."

"...okay." Erika looked down, her ears pressed close to her head.

The archer pulled out a chair for her. "Sit."

Chewing on her lip, the girl sat down and curled her tail around the legs of the chair. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you deserve a second chance."

"I've killed people, you know."

"I know." The microwave beeped and he set the sizzling pizza in front of her. "So have we."

"But those were bad people. And collateral damage..." she ignored the food, instead staring down at her lap. "I don't know why you didn't just toss me in a prison somewhere. What are you keeping me around for?"

"Because you're a minor. You're hurt. And you...you're special. You have such great potential to help people. It would be a shame to see that go to waste. Now go on. Eat." She sighed and picked one of the slices up. Clint watched as she took her first bite...then a second. And a third. She was eating fast, practically choking the stuff down. "Slow down," he warned bemusedly. She did as he said, eating just a bit slower.

He watched her in silence for a while, until she finished. She swallowed and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. "Thank you."

The corner of his mouth twitched up. "No problem."

"So...if I'm not being put in prison, what's going to happen to me?" She asked in a mumble.

Clint shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not sure," he stated quietly. "I'll have to talk it over with the others."

Erika swallowed and nodded, sighing deeply. Her tail twitched slightly as she pushed her empty plate away from her. She yawned. They sat in silence for a minute before Clint spoke again. "I'm going to have to put you back in the cell now, okay? Just for a little while."

Her eyes drifted down and she looked at the floor despondently before shrugging. "Alright."

* * *

The archer stood and smiled encouragingly at her, leading the way back through the halls to her bare cell. Once there, he pressed his thumb to the scanner and the door whooshed open. He ushered her inside and turned to leave, before hesitating. He turned back after a moment of thought. "Do you want anything to keep yourself busy? Books? Magazines? ...a TV?"

The hybrid licked her lips and shrugged again. "No," she muttered, but he could see in her eyes that it wasn't true. Still, he didn't push it this time.

"If you're sure," he stated, and let the door close and lock. As he left the girl to herself, he realized that what the kid really needed was a family. He doubted they could provide that, but they could try. And they could give her a place to call home that _wasn't_ under a bridge. They could give her the prospect of three full meals a day, without worry. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the girl huddled in the corner, her wings around her like a blanket and her tail curled over her feet. She was staring out of her cell at the wall, her eyes dull and without hope.

...maybe they could give her that back, too.

* * *

Erika tucked her knees up to her chest and leaned up against the wall, her wings curled around her. Thoughts were running through her mind faster than she could try to fathom. Should she trust them? At this point, did she have a choice? Was breaking out even an option, or should she just sit tight and see what happened? Her eyelids drooped slightly and she shifted her position a bit to try to stay awake.

She spent nearly an hour in this half-asleep state, struggling to think of a plan before finally giving in. She stood up and climbed up onto the bed, practically melting into the clean, soft fabrics. It was heaven. As she dropped off to a real, uneventful sleep, she couldn't shake the nervous foreboding that hung over her. But there wasn't anything she could do about that.

* * *

Tony glanced up from his work as Clint entered the room from his visit to their prisoner. He set his wrench down and raised his eyebrows at the other man, spinning his chair around as he did so. "How'd it go?"

He shrugged. "She's more docile than when Cap went in. Cooperated fine, ate something. She's..." he paused and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "...I think it's best if I just tell everybody at once."

The inventor nodded and glanced up. "FRIDAY, another meeting call please."

 _"On it, boss."_

"Thank youuuu-" Tony stood and stretched, heading for the door after a moment's silence. "Well Legolas, you coming?" He grinned as the archer in question scowled and smacked him lightly upside the head.

"Yeah. I'm coming," Clint grumbled in response, rolling his eyes as the two walked out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter for you! Hope you enjoy. I'm trying to pace this well, so I hope I'm doing a better job than last time. Remember to give me your reviews, they really mean a lot to me.**

 ** _Chapter 5_**

The chair squeaked as he sat down. Steve rested his forearms on the edge of the table and leaned forward. After a moment he raised an eyebrow at Clint, who had seated himself at the head of the table. Slowly, quietly, the others began filtering in. Rhodey was still there, having said something about needing to contact the army about their prisoner should she attempt escape.

He wasn't really sure what everyone else thought of the strange teen. Clint looked like he understood her. Wanda and Vision...they were a bit suspicious still. Natasha was a mystery. She had said barely anything, and her face gave away nothing. Tony and Rhodey seemed indifferent. Sam was leaning toward her imprisonment but he wasn't pushing too hard...yet. As for himself, he would have liked to release her. However, if she didn't start cooperating soon he was afraid they'd be forced to lock her away.

Steve shook his head to rid them of these thoughts and focused his attention on Clint, who was starting to speak. "...she's definitely been abused. She flinched practically every time I moved, unless it was snail-paced and obviously not intended for pain. Her clothes don't fit right and she's filthy, and she tried to refuse anything I offered. She has...scars...on her arms. I don't know how long she's been living under that bridge but I'd say at least six months, given the callouses on her hands from swinging under there every day. What the kid needs is a family."

Wanda huffed slightly, frowning and leaning back in her chair. "Perhaps," she admitted begrudgingly, "But I saw her fears. Abuse is true, I know that. But...she's done something. She feels incredibly guilty about something, and it's probably murder. She's dangerous."

"If she feels guilty about it, she's likely to change, right?" Clint pointed out in response, his hands on his hips. "I say we give her a chance."

Steve moved to speak, but Tony beat him to the punch. "If she's going to be let loose, she's going to wear some sort of restrainer," he stated firmly. "A shock collar or a bracelet or _something._ I'm all for giving her a chance, but she's not going around my tower without it until we trust her fully."

He sighed, but didn't argue his point. It was a good idea. A bit inhumane, but still...a good idea. She wouldn't escape while still being allowed free range of the tower, and if she did attempt to fight it would incapacitate her long enough to lock her in a cell again. "I agree."

Wanda seemed almost opposed to it but she, too, did not argue. "I think it would be best if we are giving her a chance."

Vision simply nodded as Rhodey shrugged. Sam frowned but didn't say anything.

Clint swallowed thickly but gave a single nod. "Alright, if that's what we all agree on. She'll wear a restraint device until we can trust her. You're in charge of that, Tony."

"Yes, sir," he drawled. The sass was amazing but not altogether surprising. "I'll get started on that."

Steve turned to Clint as Tony left to get started. "So she trusts you, then?"

The archer shrugged in response. "Kind of. She listened to me and allowed me to touch her arms but stayed far away as much as possible."

"You'll be the one to put the restrainer on her, then."

"I...fine. But for the record, I hate that idea." Clint was shaking his head as he started walking out. "I'm going to get her room ready."

Erika had woken up, stretched, and used the small bathroom in her cell. Then she had started pacing around the small area, eyes tracing everything in search for possible escape routes. The hybrid was bored out of her mind, but she tried to not let that show. After a while, movement caught her eye and she turned to see Hawk- no, Clint- opening the door to her cell. He had something in his hand, a thick metal band of some sort with red lights at one end.

She frowned. He gave her a reassuring smile and sat down on her bed before patting the mattress next to him. "Sit down," he said.

Erika's ear flaps went down but she did as she was told, making her way over to him and seating herself as far away as possible. Her eyes drifted back down to the...thing that looked suspiciously similar to some sort of high tech collar. "What's that?" She asked quietly.

He seemed to flinch. Sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this. But the others don't trust you yet. They do want to give you a chance."

"But?"

"But you're going to need to wear this until they feel you aren't going to run away or attack us."

Erika's ears pressed flat to her head and she hunched slightly, narrowing her eyes at the collar. "...what does it do?"

"It's a tracker," Clint explained gently, trying to keep her calm with his demeanor. "And...a taser. It'll allow you free range of the tower and some of the surrounding airspace to fly, but if you leave that airspace it'll shock you and alert us. And if you try to attack us it'll knock you out."

The girl frowned deeply and eyed it again with a tensed jaw. She obviously didn't like it, and Clint didn't blame her. "So I'm going to be treated like some kind of exotic pet?"

"No. You're being given a chance to prove yourself," he said sternly. "And unless they had all agreed on this, you'd be locked in a high-tech prison in a straitjacket."

Erika chewed on her lip before sighing and drooping. "Fine," she mumbled.

She did her best to not jerk away as Clint edged closer to her and reached out. She held perfectly still as he brushed her hair away from her neck. Erika sat frozen with bated breath as he pulled it around her neck. The cold metal made her flinch at its touch. He leaned back and removed his hands and it locked itself, tightening around her neck until it was secured against her skin. "It feels weird," she half whispered, hunching her shoulders.

"I know," Clint said sympathetically. "But it's only for a while. Just until we're sure we can trust you. Prove yourself and it could be off by next week."

Erika just hummed slightly in response, eyes downcast. She reached up and ran a finger along the cold metal, tracing the grooves in it. A deep sigh escaped her and she slumped back. "Okay."

Clint reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Let's go meet the others, I'll show you your room. We brought your bags from the bridge and washed your clothes. You can have a shower and get dressed in a fresh outfit."

She flinched away from him slightly but nodded anyway. "Alright."

Clint examined the girl silently as he led her from the cell she'd hopefully be leaving for the last time. She was hugging herself, head and ears down as she followed, tail dragging on the floor and wings drooped. The collar latched around her neck couldn't be entirely comfortable, but Tony had reassured him it wouldn't hurt her. He hoped he was right for her sake.

Erika's steps were slow and hesitant, and she glanced out of windows as they passed them. It wasn't nighttime any longer. Had it really been just a day since they had captured her? It seemed more like months. She swallowed as Clint led her into an elevator and pressed the button for one of the top floors. The girl shifted anxiously from foot to foot as she watched the numbers count up. Seconds seemed like torturous hours as each number ticked away to the next. Then his voice rang out from next to her. "Don't worry. They're not going to hurt you."

She cast huge green eyes in his direction, judging his remark with extreme scrutiny. "Promise?" She finally asked in a whisper.

"Promise."

The elevator dinged. The doors slid open. And there, in front of her, stood the infamous Tony Stark...and behind him, the rest of the Avengers.

Erika froze. Despite Clint's promise, the eyes of these titan-like strangers seemed very hostile to her. She stared at them with wide eyes for an agonizing few seconds before hunching her shoulders and stepping back. "I can't do this," she breathed, shuddering.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she jumped, her ears flying up. "Yes, you can. Come on." Gently, but with a firm grip, he steered her out of the elevator toward them and then let go. She tensed and scrambled backward as Stark took a step forward. He frowned. Erika stared. Clint sighed.

After a few silent moments, Clint mumbled something and shooed him back. "Look, guys, the kid's had a long day. I know you all have questions but look at her, she's terrified. Let her have a shower and some food and you can ask her all the questions you want, okay?" Erika dropped her eyes and wouldn't meet anyone's gazes.

A few grumbles rippled through the crowd, but no one protested. They split, allowing Clint to walk the winged girl past them and up the stairs. She examined their faces as she tiptoed past. Rhodey's stern face made her flinch away, and Vision's artificial, calculating gaze caused a shiver to run up her spine. Tony's brown eyes were almost kind, but there was fear and cool calculation hidden behind them. She could only spare a glance at Wanda and Natasha as she passed. They were unreadable. Sam had his eyes narrowed and distrust and dislike brimming in those brown orbs. Steve was the only one who seemed to be open to her. Still, she could tell he didn't trust her. Yet. His arms were folded across his chest and his head was cocked to one side as she walked away. She avoided his gaze like all the others'.

After what seemed to be an eternity, they had broken free from the crowd and gotten up to the balcony. He led her down the hall, past a few doors. One had a burn mark on it. Another, a dent. She frowned. He noticed. Smiled. "These are the bedrooms. Tony had a malfunctioning suit a few days ago, crashed into those two. You don't need to worry."

With her fears somewhat at bay, Erika continued to follow, scratching at her neck where the collar rubbed uncomfortably. Hopefully she'd be able to get out of this thing soon. As she was lost in thought, the girl wasn't paying attention to her gait, and nearly slammed into Clint as he stopped at a hall door. Fortunately she stopped just in time and did not hit him after all. He was unlocking it using a passcode and pushing it open, revealing a spacious room.

It had lots of soft carpeted floor space, a queen-sized bed with a generous helping of pillows and blankets, and a chair-desk combo with a computer across from said bed. A bathroom, with a shower and a tub, and soaps and shampoos already supplied. One of the walls was a window, and she could peer down the side of the tower from it for at least a hundred stories. The walls were a soft creamy white, and there was a TV and chair near the bed. A walk-in closet was across from the bathroom, the racks and shelves empty. But on the bed was a stack of her neatly-folded clothes, soft and clean, next to her three backpacks.

Erika froze in the doorway, staring into the spacious area- a stark contrast from her ten-foot space in the scaffolding of the bridge. "I..." she swallowed and turned to Clint.

"I know. But you deserve it." She frowned. It was like he read her mind.

"How-"

"Let's just say I know how it feels," he said quietly. "You have a friend with me, kid."

She swallowed and looked down, her ears going down. "Thanks," she mumbled, though he could tell she didn't quite believe it...yet.

"Take a shower, I'll bring you some lunch...then you'll have to meet the others," he said simply. "Toss those rags into the laundry chute, we'll take care of it."

She nodded. "Okay."

He gave her a small half smile as he closed the door behind her, his tone reassuring. "You'll be okay."


	6. Chapter 6

**Another month, another chapter! Hope you guys enjoy.**

 **Trigger warning- drug use detailed.**

 **Chapter 6**

The water was hot and clean, and the steam cleared out her congested lungs. Streams ran down her hair and back, taking the dirt with it and leaving clean streaks on her skin. It was almost peaceful in a way.

After thirty minutes, Erika stepped out and wrapped long, knotted black hair in a soft white towel, letting water stream down her legs and soak into the bath mat below her. Taking a deep breath of the warm, steamy air, she opened her eyes, blinked away trembling droplets, and swept away the fog clinging to the mirror.

Her reflection stared back at her through the cleared streak, purple-ringed green eyes hollow. Dull black wings arched from her back, and the scales on her hands were not as shiny as they once were. She bit her lip. The girl in the mirror did the same. Copied everything- like a puppet. The mirror was the only thing she was in control of, and she didn't much like what she saw.

Bones jutted out from her skin, the outlines of her ribs visible. A scabbed chin, bruised side. Inner arms with rows of neat slices from her wrists to her elbows. Calloused and cracked hands and feet. And then the newest addition- the collar. The thing keeping her here and reminding her that she really wasn't much more than a circus freak.

Erika swallowed and pulled the towel from her hair, opting to wrap it and her wings around herself instead, to hide from the reflection. She sat and dug her ragged nails into her heels, tearing at the hardened skin in a desperate attempt to make her feet soft again. She thought that maybe if she looked better in some small way, she'd feel better...but even after working at them for twenty minutes, nothing much had changed.

Sighing resignedly, she forced herself up and started pulling on her clothes. The fabrics were actually soft and smooth, not stiff and starchy from the hand soap and river water she'd been using for the last year and a half. That did make her feel better, even if they were hanging loosely from her bony frame. She sunk down on the bed- not _her_ bed, not yet- and ran the brush she'd found in the bathroom through tangled strands.

She was halfway done when the knock sounded. She jumped at the noise, then calmed herself and stood up, walking over and pulling the door open a crack. Clint was there with lunch as promised. She let him in silently and closed the door after him as he walked in and set the tray down on her desk. "Made you a sandwich," he announced cheerfully, turning and looking her over. Nodded approvingly. "You look better." A tiny ghost of a half smile twitched onto her lips, and his grin widened. "See?"

Erika felt a laugh bubble into her chest but she pushed it back down before it could show. "Thanks," she said simply.

He nodded and reached out toward her. Later she would realize it was likely to clap her on the shoulder, but in the heat of the moment, she interpreted it very differently. She jerked away from him, her ears going back and her own hand smacking his away harshly.

Clint stepped back and raised his hands in surrender, calm blue eyes meeting distrustful green. He examined her, tracing the girl before him- from her half-brushed hair to her hard glare, then to her heaving chest and the red lights on her collar. They were blinking rapidly, sensing her raised adrenaline levels and readying the taser should they heighten more.

They didn't, fortunately.

The archer sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you," he stated simply. He understood how she felt, he really did. Natasha had been the same way when he'd recruited her, only she was a little more...murder-y in her panic reflexes. "Promise." He backed away more, giving her space. "I'll go now, be back in an hour to take you to the others. They've agreed to let you meet them one on one. Eat up." He'd learned that just telling people like her what to do worked much better than trying to coddle them, at least at the start. Comforting only worked when they trusted you.

He just hoped she'd learn to trust him sooner rather than later. It would go better for everyone if she could. Clint left the room, taking one last glance back at the girl. She was calm now, head down and tail tangled around her legs. He shook his head slightly and eased the door closed behind him. This could take a while.

Erika eyed the door after it closed. Sighed. She deflated, her wings drooping again and her shoulders slumping. That...didn't go as well as she'd hoped. She sat again and grabbed the brush, staring down at it for a few moments before tossing it away.

* * *

An hour had come and gone, and Clint was returning to the girl's room to bring her to the others. His steps slowed and he frowned as he noticed the distinct lack of light from under the door. Slowly, he reached out and swung it open. The thick black curtains were closed tightly, blocking out the sunlight. He couldn't see a thing, save for the small square of light from the hallway. The archer fumbled for the light switch...and almost immediately wished he hadn't turned it on.

Erika was slumped against the bed, her hair still a mess on one side and wings drooped and limp against the carpeted floor. Her tail was curled around her slightly but she wasn't moving. Her normally pale skin was flushed and red, and one sleeve was rolled up to her elbow. A dirtied syringe was clutched in her fingers, the residue inside a light brown color.

"Shit," Clint hissed, striding over and sinking to his knees next to her. Her breathing was shallow and slow, and her eyes were closed. Muttering something under his breath, he took hold of her shoulder and shook.

A whining moan escaped her and her eyes fluttered open. "S-stop. Makin' it worse. Room...room's swimming. Spinning?" She blinked slowly, staring at his face with unfocused eyes and small pupils. "Who're you?"

"Heroin?" was all he said in response, frowning down at her. Sighing, he pried the syringe from her hand and tossed it across the room into the trash can, noting the uneaten food at the desk. "Come on." he slung her arm around his shoulders and helped her to her feet. She sniffed, wiping at her nose with her sleeve.

"Okay," she mumbled, her speech dry and slurred.

...At least she let him touch her when she was like this. "FRIDAY. Get Tony up here."

 _He's on his way._

"Thanks, honey." Despite the nature of the joke, there was no laughter in Clint's voice as he kneeled the girl in front of the toilet. Now he was very glad they'd made her stay- if they'd let her out and she didn't end up attacking anyone else, she would have most likely ended up killing herself with the habit.

Erika blinked a few times. "Why..." she paused, silenced as he pulled her hair back away from her face. "What are you doin'?"

Clint wrapped a hair tie around the black strands in a quick ponytail. "You said the room is spinning. That tells me you're nauseous, and I-" he was cut off as she heaved and the pizza from earlier that day ejected itself from her stomach. "...yeah. That."

It only lasted for a few moments before she slumped to the cool floor and pressed her forehead into the tiles. "Hot."

"What's hot?" Tony's voice came from behind him. Clint turned around and stepped to the side, revealing the girl behind him. "...oh. She's sick?"

"Kind of." Clint took one last glance at her, made sure she was breathing properly, and then beckoned for Tony to follow. "You didn't go through her stuff?"

"No, I just grabbed the clothes out of the one bag. Why?" Confusion and cautious worry were in his voice.

"She's an addict, Tony. The kid has heroin on her. I thought you screened the bags."

A heavy sigh escaped Tony and he ran his hand through his hair. "Probably should have."

"Damn right. Now I'm going to do it, and you are going to take her down to the lab and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid or die."

"Barton...I'm an engineer, not a physician. This is why I'm trying to find Bruce. Doing what Google says for this is the best thing I'm going to be able to do."

"Does it look like I give a crap what you're good at?" Clint snapped in response. "Take her to the lab, call Helen if you really need to."

"...fine." Tony walked into the bathroom and exited with the girl a moment later, supporting her against his shoulder. The archer watched as he left before shaking his head and starting to root through the bags.

* * *

Erika wasn't sure exactly what was happening. Someone was taking her from the bathroom to...somewhere else. Blinking tiredly, she managed to lift her head and stare up at him. What was his name? Stork? Stank? Stark. Yeah, that sounded right. Toony Stark. Or Tony. One of those.

Every step was like trying to walk in concrete shoes. The world swayed around her and she shut her eyes against a wave of dizziness. Sleep sounded like heaven. Could she sleep while walking? She'd done that before, hadn't she? She couldn't quite remember- the past was all fuzzy. And she was hot and itchy.

Oh. They were somewhere else now. Toony was lying her down on a cold table, propping her head up with some soft fluffy thing. The cold metal was amazing, cooling her skin. It didn't last long. The heat came back quickly, and wouldn't go away. "Water?" She asked quietly, looking across the room at the man staring at a screen.

* * *

Tony glanced over at the girl as she spoke. "Uh...yeah." he grabbed a glass and filled it at the sink before handing it to her. It slipped through her fingers and he fumbled to catch it before it shattered on the floor.

"Sorry."

"No, no, it's okay. It's okay." He handed it to her again and helped her grip the glass. She seemed to be coming back from her high, but it would probably linger until she slept. After she finished drinking, he took the glass back and set it to the side. Footsteps alerted him to someone's presence and he turned around to see Natasha staring at him with a quirked eyebrow.

"What's this all about?" she asked.

"She's apparently a heroin addict."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. And we can't send her to rehab for...obvious reasons." Tony gestured vaguely at her wings. Erika just blinked in response, following his hands with curious, sleepy eyes. "So I guess we're going to all help her through it." Sighing, he shook his head and sarcastically took on a presenter's voice. "'Stark Tower, rehab for superheroes and addicts alike.' Or something."

"Be nice, tin man." Natasha walked over and looked the winged girl over. She was almost asleep, eyelids drooping heavily and head lolling to the side. "We had to go through the same thing with you and your alcohol consumption."

"Well, yes. But that was for heath reasons," he protested.

"Don't you think that's why she's doing it? She thinks it will help. Help her forget for a while." Natasha's voice was stern. "Obviously we can't let it continue, but one thing is for sure- she's not going anywhere until we get her out of the habit."

Tony shook his head as he began hooking a heart monitor to her. Her pulse was slow and irregular, but she wasn't in a life-threatening situation. Yet. "Yeah. But then what? Do we let her on the team? She's a kid."

"So was I."

"And you want to put her through the guilt of possibly killing people."

"I never said that. Like we said earlier, we will play this by ear. Let her decide."

"...alright. Hey, get me some food, will you? I gotta keep an eye on miss high-and-crashing here." His abrupt change of subject showed he was done talking about it, and Natasha left it at that. The conversation could wait.

She smirked slightly. "I'll think about it."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hope you all enjoy! I had fun writing this chapter, and I hope it's just as fun to read. Remember to leave me your reviews!**_

 **Chapter 7**

"It's not going to work." Tony's voice was tired and annoyed.

"And why do you say that?" Sam was practically yelling, frustration starting to get the better of him. "Answer the goddamn question and tell me why you can't use that big brain of yours to research rehab tactics and help her with this."

A sigh. Steve looked over from where he was seated next to the girl's unconscious form. Tony was slumped over, elbows on the table and face in his hands. Greasy fingers ran through groomed hair, grey and silver speckling the black strands. "I can't. Number one- I'm not a doctor. I am a mechanic. And number two- she doesn't trust us enough to let us help her. Look at the kid." He lifted his head to gesture vaguely at her still form before dropping his arms to his lap. "You attacked her in her own home, dragged her here against her will because she was dangerous. Different. We put her in a collar. That was, admittedly, my idea, but try to see where I'm coming from. Tell me how good you'd feel if someone did that to Wanda."

Steve dropped his eyes. He wasn't ashamed. Not really guilty, either. Just...settling in. Realizing. He shook himself and looked up as the man's voice filtered back into his consciousness.

"...from experience. You can't break her of the habit if she doesn't trust you. You have to give her something else. A substitute, a different high. Distract her. And keep her away from the drugs at the same time."

Steve, for the first time in the hour he'd been there, spoke. "And what are you suggesting for this alternative high?"

He turned to him and shrugged in response. "I don't know. Flying?"

"She could do that anytime when she was alone," Sam pointed out.

Clint shook his head from across the room. "Not freely. She'd have to do it only at night and for short bursts. Avoid planes and police scanners, stay away from the buildings- not to mention the lost calories. Even when she was out there she wasn't free."

Sam hummed. "Fair points. Still, that doesn't seem like a good idea. And she can't go far anyway with the radius you set."

"True." Steve stretched his legs a bit before settling back down into his chair. "Any other ideas?"

"We could invite her to train with us," suggested Sam hesitantly.

Clint shook his head. "That really wouldn't end well. We should just be her friends first. Try to coax her out. Break her of the habit with...uh...somewhat good influences."

"I feel that was a stab aimed at me," Tony drawled lazily.

Steve scoffed. "You even have to make insults about yourself."

A grin twitched onto the other man's face. "What _isn't_ about me?"

"Most positive remarks."

"Ow, capsicle."

Clint fixed them both with a glare and they went silent almost instantly. Resting angry face did have its advantages- one of them being the fact that his actual angry face was more intimidating than normal. " _As I was saying_ , we need to be her friends first, mentors next."

"Yes, but how is the question." Sam sounded even more apathetic than usual.

"Just be nice to her!" the archer was getting frustrated with them. "The kid needs people to stop acting afraid of her." He turned to Steve and gestured to him. "Think about your old pal Bucky, huh? Millions of people are viewing him as a monster, and you are his only hunter that isn't out for his blood. That's one good pillar for him, even if he's still avoiding you and doesn't quite know you. This girl...she doesn't have anyone. Literally no one else in the world but us know her secret and haven't tried to kill her for it. We need to be her pillar...instead of these." He tossed the few bags of heroin he'd retrieved from her backpacks onto the table. Can we please just try?"

Steve let out a breath, Clint's reminder of Bucky hitting a bit too close to home. "Yeah. Let's do it."

"Thank you." Clint turned to Sam and Tony and raised his brows. "Well?"

Sam reached over and grabbed the drugs as a response. "I'm starting by getting rid of these."

Tony let out a yawn. "Yeah. Of course. Remind me who the person was that suggested this?" He pointed his finger to himself and arched an eyebrow. "Oh, wait...it was me."

A huff escaped from Steve as he placed a hand on the girl's forehead. "She's hot."

The engineer shrugged. "That's normal. She'll be like that for another hour at least."

Sam had left the room with the bags, and Tony was tinkering with the girl's collar- which he'd removed after she'd slipped off into oblivion. Clint frowned over at him. "What are you doing?"

"While she's out I'm making sure she didn't do anything to it." The answer was simple and to the point. "She might've tried to break it somehow."

A few minutes of silence passed before Tony stood again and pulled it around her clammy neck. A hum escaped from it and metal shifted, clicks erupting as it did so. It tightened itself and fastened, a small hiss of steam ejecting from the clasp. Two green lights blinked on. "I have a date with Pepper in, like, an hour. Who's watching her?"

"I will," Steve volunteered before Clint could say anything. The archer in question frowned deeply.

"Yeah...are you sure that's the best idea? She trusts me. Mostly."

"She needs to learn to trust other people," Steve replied evenly. "Besides, you've been her babysitter since minute one. I'm not coming at her with a shield this time. We'll be fine."

Clint pursed his lips before nodding. "Alright. Call me if she panics."

"Will do."

* * *

Erika's head was spinning. Groaning slightly, she curled on her side and put her hands up to her face, trying to block out the light. She felt hot and itchy, and couldn't quite recall how she'd gone from the darkened room to this table.

"Hi."

She jumped at the voice and turned to it, her black wings curling around her like a shield. And there, sitting next to her, was Captain America. She blinked, peering out at him from the safe confines of her own wings and arms. She started remembering bits and pieces from her high. Why had she taken it in the first place? Just because she was scared? Because it hurt her to be trapped again? She licked her dry, cracked lips and shrunk back farther. What did they think of her? Who else knew about it?

The man smiled at her, eyebrows rising slightly. "You alright there?" She shrugged in response, still hiding behind her wings. "Come on." Steve stood up and retrieved a glass of water before offering it to her. "You must be thirsty, right?"

Erika shrunk back slightly before reaching out with a trembling hand. Steve pressed the cool glass into her palm and she curled her fingers around it. A few more minutes passed in silence as she sat up fully and drank the liquid. "Thanks," she muttered. Her shoulders hunched and her grip on the glass tightened. "What time is it?" She was avoiding his gaze, opting instead to stare at her knees. Her wings had folded back to their normal positions.

"It's seven o'clock in the evening. You've been out for about four hours." A few more moments of quiet passed before the soldier spoke once more. "So why did you do it?"

A frown twitched onto her face and she looked at him as if she were confused. She'd done a lot of things- most of them not quite good. "What are you talking about?" Erika asked slowly, cautiously.

"The drugs. Why did you have them?" His voice was more fatherly than anything. She bit the inside of her cheek instead of responding. He sighed and moved closer to her. She flinched and scooted away as he sat on the table next to her. His hulking, muscular form wasn't making her feel any safer. Steve examined the fidgeting girl in quiet pity. "Erika."

The girl in question glanced over at him, eyes large and afraid. Her tail twitched and flicked up before coming to a rest on her lap. She bit her lip.

"We want to help you." Steve's voice was calming. He didn't make another move to get close to her. "We brought you in as a potential danger, but you seem to be more of a threat to yourself than others. So please. Let us help you. You need to tell us."

Erika felt miserable. She was afraid, stuck in a place she knew nothing about and forced against her will to wear a shock collar because _they_ were scared of _her_. And she was supposed to pour out her feelings to her attacker? She frowned and shook her head, eyes falling from his face. "I'm sorry. I don't...I can't."

His voice was still calm. "Why not?"

She turned to look at him again, an incredulous frown on her face. "Because I don't know you. And I don't want to talk about it."

Steve let out a soft breath. He could understand that. The blond nodded slowly. "Fair enough, I suppose. Though I do hope you'll be able to tell at least one of us eventually."

"Maybe." The tiniest pout was on her lips as she turned away from the man. She reached up and scratched at her neck again. Why a collar? Why not a bracelet or something? Were they trying to make her feel more like an animal? Or was it simply for ease of access and to knock her out more quickly?

"Are you hungry?" His voice broke into her thoughts, alerting her to his presence again.

She shrugged again in response. "Not really. It makes the hunger go away for a while." Erika pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them, propping her chin on them. She stared longingly out of the window, wanting to be anywhere other than that sterile lab. Even her bridge sounded better than the room she'd been thrown in. At least that was hers...kind of.

"Are you ready to meet the others?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever be ready," she admitted quietly. "I...I don't know."

Steve frowned. "What do you like to do? For fun...other than doping yourself up."

A frown was his answer even before she spoke. "I'm not sure. I never really got a childhood. I..." Her green eyes were sad as she continued to stare despondently out of the window. "I don't know. Don't have a social life. Missed all the movies."

He smiled slightly. "Well, I get that. We can catch up together."

Erika blinked a few times and looked at him. This was Captain America. And he was offering to watch movies with her? "You're kidding...right?" Suspicion and disappointment were evident in her tone.

"No. Why would I be?"

"Because. You...you're an Avenger. And I stole your wallet."

Steve smirked a bit. "But I'm also trying to help you. And if you're not comfortable telling me about yourself, that's okay. We can go sit in the living room and watch some movies instead. You've been through enough stress these last few days. So we can relax, eat some popcorn. Just the two of us."

Erika paused, staring at him in confusion. A few seconds passed before her frown dropped and she finally allowed a smile to curve her lips upward. "...I like that idea."

The soldier beamed. "You can choose. What do you want to see?"

She shrugged one shoulder and pursed her lips. "I always liked Disney when I was little. Never got the chance to see them all, though."

He nodded. "We'll do that, then."

And as they settled down to on the couch to watch Tangled with a large bowl of popcorn between them, Erika had to wonder just how her life had ended up here. Maybe this wouldn't be that bad after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Well, this one is late...whoops. I had literally no inspiration for a while but I finally gained some brain power. Enjoy!_**

 **Chapter 8**

Erika wasn't sure exactly what had happened. All she knew was that one day she was under her bridge clutching a stolen wallet. Now two days later, she was waking up in a real bed with morning sunlight shining through the floor to ceiling windows. And just hours before, she'd been on a couch with popcorn next to Captain America.

She'd fallen asleep on the couch...

A frown twitched on her face and she sat up. Her hair wasn't in a ponytail anymore, and her shoes had been taken off and set at the side of the bed. How late had they stayed up? She didn't remember walking up to the room. Panic took over her mind even though she didn't feel any different, but then again not remembering the night before was enough to make anyone do so. Her bags weren't on the bed. Instead, they were lying in a heap on the floor, empty. Cautious, and with the all too familiar anxiety entering her mind, she tossed aside the covers and made her way over to the closet.

Her clothes were inside, folded and stacked neatly in two small piles. It was almost pitiful to see the stacks, each holding maybe five clothing items- all worn to threads. A voice erupted from the ceiling a few moments later.

 _Good morning._

The voice was female with human tones, though it was not natural. Erika flinched at the sound and her eyes darted around the room. Nothing. "Who's there?" she asked hesitatingly after seconds of tense silence.

 _My name is FRIDAY. I'm Mister Stark's personal AI- Artifical Intelligence._

"I know what AI means," Erika's defense was quick and sharp before she realized just what she was doing. This was a robot. Would it even be able to hold a proper conversation? As if trying to debunk these thoughts, FRIDAY said nothing to her remark, just gave a startlingly human hum. A few more seconds passed before the girl gathered up her courage and spoke again. "What happened last night?" If this AI was in the tower, wouldn't it have been watching? Would it tell her?

 _You fell asleep. Captain Rogers brought you to your room._

Erika shook her head slightly- almost unbelievingly. She hadn't let her guard down that much, had she? There was no way she had relaxed that much. "Oh."

 _Mister Stark wants to see you when you're ready._

"Why?" Steeling herself for what she suspected was a coming trial, the dragon girl sunk down onto her bed and tugged on her shoes with dread settling in her stomach. She didn't bother changing her clothes or brushing her bed-mussed hair. "What does he want?"

A few moments passed before the speakers crackled to life again. Instead of the robot's voice, the billionaire's filtered through. _"Just come when you can, kid. Soon as possible...we need to talk."_

"Very comforting," Erika muttered, mostly to herself. Still, she didn't argue, just tied the worn shoes tightly and headed for the door. "Where is he? How do I get there?" All she knew was the way from the infirmary to the lab, and then the cell to her room and the kitchen. Everything else, she had been asleep for. She'd be able to find her way if she really tried, but she just didn't have that kind of motivation.

 _Down the stairs to the right, the elevator. I'll take you to the lab._

Erika grimaced at those words. Why the lab? Her steps were slow at first as she started down the stairs, but she eventually decided it was no use moping about it and quickened her pace. Her eyes caught on the windows on her way down and she realized it was late morning. No one was in the lounge, and the only evidence of their late-night binge-watching session were the movies stacked next to the television.

It was eerily quiet- from the slight damages in the walls, she'd assumed there would be a lot more tussling than there actually proved to be. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad one. A minute passed in tense silence as she found the elevator, stepped in, and watched the numbers tick away.

Seconds in the small box passed in what seemed like hours and the doors slid open with a gentle ding. Tony was there waiting- by himself. Was that a blessing or a curse? Erika stepped hesitantly from the elevator but said nothing, just looked at him with trepidation in her gaze.

"Come sit down." It didn't seem like an order- rather, it was an invitation. She walked over slowly and sat in the chair across from him. "Feeling any better?"

Confusion drifted onto her face but she smoothed it away as quickly as she could. Did he really invite her down here just to hold a normal conversation? She wasn't sure if she liked it or hated it. "Yeah, I guess," she mumbled in reply after a few seconds.

A smile spread across his face. "Great. That's good."

She nodded in reply and pressed her lips together slightly as an awkward silence settled in.

"So." Erika jumped as his voice started up again and her eyes darted to his face. "I, uh...I need to run some tests on you."

The dragon girl shrunk back, distrust gleaming in her green eyes. "What kind of tests?"

"A blood test, first of all- then I'd like to see your abilities." He didn't seem unkind, not really- just information-hungry. Maybe not in a malicious way, but it didn't feel quite right.

Still, it wasn't like she could refuse. "Okay." The word was said in a mumble, and her voice shook slightly.

An almost sympathetic expression crossed his face and he stood. "Ready?"

The answer was, really, no...but it would do no good hesitating. The sooner everything got done, the sooner her fate could be found out. So she lied. "Yeah." She stood and walked over to him as he beckoned her over to a table with several monitors decorating it. He slid a drawer open and removed a syringe from it.

She simply rolled up her sleeves and held her arm out to him, trying her best to ignore the way his eyes drifted over the scars striping across her wrists. He said nothing, just readied the instrument and, as gently as possible, worked the needle into a vein. Erika stood deathly still and watched as the red liquid was sucked from her arm into the syringe. She watched as he removed it and wiped away the blood left on her wrist. She watched as he took off the needle and put the vial into a machine. It twirled there, around and around, until the humming abruptly came to an end- and with it, the vial's motion.

The screen lit up. "Come on." Before the girl could see what was written on it, Tony had gripped her shoulders and steered her away from it. She frowned but, again, didn't argue. He led her to an empty space in the middle of his lab. "Stay still, yeah?"

A suspicious frown creased her face but she did as he asked.

"You don't talk much, do you?" The question was asked with a measure of idle curiosity mixed in with a slight bit of confusion.

"No."

The inventor snorted in amusement as he dragged some wires over to where she was standing- each hooked to a separate screen. "I'm going to use these to monitor your vitals, okay?"

Confusion graced her mind with its presence. What would he need to monitor her vitals for? She nodded and stayed silent as he placed the wires on her temples and directly above her heart. She wrinkled her nose slightly and rolled her shoulders back. After he finished, he stepped back to his computer station and stroked his fingers across a few buttons. A sound much like wind through trees erupted from the ceiling and Erika looked up to see a clear tube descending around her.

"What is this?" she demanded over the noise, her muscles tensing. The glass-like enclosure locked around her before she could do anything.

"Just something to ensure you don't damage anything."

She scoffed. "Is that supposed to be encouraging?"

"Yeah."

A beeping noise erupted from the collar and she flinched, waiting for the electricity to course through her. It didn't happen- instead, it loosened and the lights blinked off.

She gave him a confused look and narrowed one eye.

"Relax. I just want to see your abilities. Cap said you could make blue fire- now, I don't know about you, but that sounds like some really cool shit." He plopped down into a rolling chair and placed a foot on the ground to stop it from rolling back. "So please, demonstrate."

The girl could only stare at him in obvious confusion and distrust.

He sighed. "Look, I promise I'm just doing this to find out more about you. I'm not going to send you off to a facility unless you do something to deserve it."

Erika swallowed nervously. She did deserve just that, she knew...but she wouldn't say that aloud. "Okay."

"Go on, then."

She felt rather awkward doing this, but she would do it nonetheless. She pulled up her sleeves again and closed her eyes. Her veins began glowing an unnatural blue and fire formed in her palms. She glanced up, her green eyes glittering nervously.

His own eyes wide, Tony leaned over and flicked the lights off. The blue flames illuminated her face with their star-like glow. No words escaped him for a few moments. Then he offered a slight half-smile. The man stood and walked over, peering curiously through the glass at the sight. "You can launch it, then?"

"Um. Yeah."

A nod was her cue to demonstrate, and so she did. Erika blinked before rotating her hands so her palms faced him. Her fingers flicked out and the ball of fire slammed into the glass before dying out.

"Interesting." Tony pursed his lips as he eyed the embers on the floor and the blackened barrier between them.

"That's it?" the girl raised an eyebrow at him.

"No. Can I see your wings?"

Her tail curled around her legs and a small blush tinged her cheeks red as she spread her wings. The tips brushed against the walls surrounding her, and she lifted them a bit so they were half-spread.

He nodded. "Great. Hold that pose."

The hybrid's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but she did as he asked. The walls shuddered and glowed blue. A metal ring descended around her small enclosure, blue lights blinking as it rotated around her. It dropped slowly to the floor and then ascended back into the ceiling. Seconds later, a holographic image of her flickered to life on the man's desk. He flicked a finger at it and it rotated slowly. "Perfect."

"And what exactly did that achieve?" Erika challenged in an untrusting voice.

"I'm entering you into the database."

"Why?"

"Well-" Tony stood and stretched slightly, his spine popping nicely. "One, I don't really have anything else important to do, and two, I should put you in as early as possible so when you actually become an avenger you can skip all this."

The world tilted around her. "What did you just say?"

"I know, I know..." the inventor rolled his eyes. "I think it's jumping the gun too, but they want to give you a chance. Which is _crazy,_ honestly. You're a kid." He hit a button and the glass disappeared into the ceiling again.

She wasn't sure why exactly she took offense to that comment, but she did. "I can handle myself!"

"No. You can't."

Erika crossed her arms and scowled at him, looking very much like a child that had been told 'no'. "Why do you say that?"

He flicked the lights on again, leaned forward, and stared her down with both eyebrows arched. "You didn't land a single hit on any of them when they brought you in. You've been doing drugs, stealing, living under a bridge...do I need to go on?"

"No," she muttered sullenly. Suddenly more self-conscious than ever, she tugged her sleeves back down to hide her scars.

"Exactly. Either way, you have to prove yourself first- and that could take a while, so don't get too excited."

She nodded, her head still spinning. Were they actually considering letting her join, even when she hadn't met all of them yet? That...that had to be some kind of trick, right?

"Go get some breakfast," Tony remarked offhandedly as he walked over and pulled the wires from her skin. "It's just you, me, and Vision- Clint's home, and a few of the others are on missions or overseeing a construction project. I have to leave soon too. You and Vision should, uh...chat. He's your babysitter."

Erika snorted unhappily. She didn't need a babysitter. A shrug was her response to his words, and she left the lab a few minutes later.

At least she didn't have to worry about rustling up free food. There was a fridge here.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Well. It's been a while. Hi again, folks. Hopefully I'm back for good, now that winter is over. As usual, I hope you all enjoy. Please remember to leave reviews. It really helps me out :)**_

 **Chapter 9**

Erika was sitting at the table, fork absently twirling leftover pasta around in a steaming bowl, staring out the window with longing eyes. The microwave was hanging open, the vacant interior showing where she'd warmed up the food.

The pattering of footsteps gracing over the tile floor alerted her to someone's sudden presence and she jumped, whirling around with big eyes. Her hand clenched around the handle of her fork and, instinctively, sent it flying toward the intruder.

It thumped off of a sweater-clad chest and clattered uselessly to the floor.

The chest belonged to Vision.

She stared at him wth wild eyes before she recognized who he was. Then, with a heavy sigh, she slumped down into her chair, her fingers tangled in her hair as she tugged at the black strands in an effort to calm down. "Don't do that," she muttered sullenly, glaring at the...man?...machine?...creature...with cold green eyes.

"I could say the same of you," he retorted quietly as he stooped and took the fork in two sleek fingers. A stray noodle fell to the floor, plopping back down into the bits of splattered sauce on the tiles. His white sweater now had a red splotch of immovable sauce right above the heart. "Why are you afraid of me?" He asked after a moment. The fork clicked as he placed it in the sink.

She glanced up at him again, her eyes distrustfully settling on his shiny red face and the bright yellow gem imbedded into it. "You're not natural," she mumbled, hiding the true reason for her fear.

He hummed as he took a clean fork from the drawer and pushed it across the table to her. "Neither are you," he pointed out, gesturing first to her ears, then her wings, and finally to her tail, which was snaking around the chair legs nervously, its tip twitching to a beat only Erika could feel. "And I don't think you one for prejudice. So, why are you afraid?"

A few moments of silence passed, all through which the dragon girl's eyes did not leave his face. But finally she forced herself to speak again. She gestured helplessly at her wings first, then dropped her hands into her lap, where they curled into fists. "Wouldn't you be?" she challenged.

"I think so." Vision slid a chair out from the table and seated himself across from her, noting how she scooted a little farther away as he did so. "I know what it is to be afraid of the unknown. I have seen it- with Ultron, myself...the team. And now you. It is something that all creatures can share."

Erika wasn't sure exactly how to react to that response. So, instead of saying anything, she simply shrugged and once again started to twirl the pasta around in the ceramic bowl. "Did Mr. Stark leave yet?" She asked quietly.

"He did," affirmed the creature seated across from her. Stunning mechanically blue eyes stared down at her food. "It's a strange thing, eating. Flavors. Wanda has attempted to explain some to me, but..." he shook his head. "I will never have the pleasure of tasting it."

"Oh." Again, the girl wasn't sure how to react, or what to say to such a sad sentence. So instead she continued in that awkward silence. The quiet was only disturbed by the occasional clink of her fork slipping and the soft tapping of her chewed fingernails on the wooden table, until, finally, she spoke once again. "Do they all live here?" She asked quietly.

"No." Vision sighed, and leaned back a bit. "Only those without a home of their own. Sam has his, as do Clint, Rhodey, Steve, and Tony, though he tends to hang around here more...Pepper is here, after all. Natasha does not stay often, but occasionally she will drop in and crash for months at a time before going off the grid again. Wanda and I- and now you- we have no home but here."

Erika subconsciously flinched at that, the words sounding unnatural on her ears.

 _Come home, girl._

 _Stop running._

Home? When had she ever had a home?

She rubbed at her wrist frantically, tugging at her sleeves. The next words that escaped her sounded harsher than she meant them to be, but it couldn't be helped. "This isn't my home."

If she could have, perhaps that would have been the moment of her flight. She would have burst through the window, glass shattering around her strong, nimble wings, and soared into the sky, back to her bridge. But instead she was stuck here, the collar serving to remind her that such flights were impossible.

"...but my apologies." Vision was taking again, that infuriatingly perfect accent as soft as usual. Almost fake.

"I need some air." Her voice was in a snap, and she stood, pushing the half eaten food away from her and marching toward the elevator, head down and arms curled around her middle. Perhaps she couldn't leave, or stray more than a dozen feet from the tower, but she could at least stand on the landing platform jutting out of the building.

Vision was silent for a moment as he watched her go, perhaps wondering if something was wrong, or maybe just knowing precisely what was right. He said nothing, just watched in unreadable silence as the elevator doors clicked shut.

The ride was a short one, just long enough for her to wrestle her wings into her big old ratty sweatshirt. Technically she had no need to hide them- there would be no one that didn't already know waiting up there- but she felt as if it was a needed gesture.

With the sweatshirt on, she couldn't fly...and maybe it would be harder to tempt her into it.

She was surprised, however, that when the elevator doors opened, she was greeted by a tall, thin figure perched on the edge of the platform. Slowly, she slipped from the box and stood in the open hangar, watching with both distrust and curiosity as the figure stood at the edge.

It seemed to be a male, at least she assumed it was from the build, but she couldn't really tell anything more. Red and black and blue stretched across the strange suit he was wearing, and a ski mask that seemed to be partially held on by goggles tightened it to his skull.

He was mumbling to himself, but she couldn't quite hear what he was saying. So, moving as quietly as possible, she pulled her hood over her head and snuck forward.

She was about twelve feet away when the figure stopped murmuring to himself. She was eleven feet away when his head snapped toward her. "S-stop right there!" the voice was young, cracking. Shaking, despite it being muffled.

The getup was even more ridiculous from the front. Erika arched an eyebrow, confusion glittering in her green eyes. "What are you doing up here?"

"Well, I, uh..." the boy's voice was straining, deeper now, as if he were trying to mask his true voice. He glanced behind him and backed up until his heels were nearly hanging off the edge. "I...I could ask the same of you!"

"I was bro- I mean, I live here." It sounded fake even to her own ears. But...if she were to start proving her trustworthiness, she may as well start by dealing with an intruder.

"Right." The voice slipped back to that of a teen, before suddenly, unnaturally, snapping back into something deeper. "So who are you supposed to be?"

She was caught off guard at that. Who _was_ she to him? She wasn't anything- anyone- special enough to have a hero name. "I- I'm...I don't need to answer that," she finally grumbled. "Why are you up here, and how?"

The onesie-clad boy backed up further, now just the tips of his toes keeping him from being blown right off the edge. "Eh...yeah. Hi." The voice once again slipped into the cracking voice of a teen, but now he let it stay that way. "Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, here."

"Spider-Man?" Erika's voice was skeptical, and she took a few steps forward, peering at the boy with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah...Spider-Man. Cause I can do...this." With a small, awkward chuckle, he saluted, and then jumped off.

A shout and a curse of shock escaped her lips and she rushed forward. The metal of the deck clanked as she dropped to her knees, but she paid it no mind. She stared over the edge, expecting to find a splattered body down below, but instead met by the cheaply-suited teen swinging on some sort of long white rope, his body contorting into a flip midair as he sailed gracefully from building to building down below.

...well. At least she had a story to tell, now.

Erika shook her head worriedly and made her way back inside, hoping that this indecent proved her peacefulness more than it did her incompetence, and wondering why no alarms had gone off.

And as she wondered that, Peter Parker landed on a roof below and watched the strange hooded figure disappear back into the Avengers Tower. There had been no stories of a girl living with them, especially not one that dressed like the common bums that lived in alleys and under bridges.

So who was she? And why, he wondered, did she act as if she were struggling to belong?


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hey look I'm alive**_

 **Chapter 10**

The blue-white flickering hue of an old, beat up laptop illuminated the messy interior of a teenage boy's bedroom. The light revealed several things otherwise unknown to daytime explorers of the dense jungle of half eaten food and tossed aside shirts. The true nature of the boy was one of them.

Sweatshirt material, red and blue, loosely stretched across a lanky but muscled frame. Messy brown hair fell in front of tired blue eyes, and a ski mask, outfitted with scratched swimming goggles, lay crumpled on the desk next to the old keyboard. A double wire stretched to the boy's ears, the earbuds set to a low volume.

And on the screen was a blurry news camera picture of a girl being carried into a quinjet.

Peter Parker squinted at the image, fingers flicking the mouse expertly to zoom in, but the group of some of the world's most famous heroes was not his point of interest. He was focused on their most recent capture.

Wet, tangled black hair framed the bruised and bloody face of a girl around his age. Her body was thin and underfed, and collapsed easily into the over-the-shoulder carry that Hawkeye had slung her into.

What surprised him most was her wings and tail. Black, leathery appendages arched from her back, each of them looking bigger and sturdier than the emaciated girl who carried them. The spined tail wound out from underneath her shirt, about two feet longer than her legs. It dragged on the ground, double tailfins gouging extra lines in the dirt.

And above the picture read, in bold print, those words that had been targeted at him once before- 'A NEW MENACE?'

Could this be the same girl that had confronted him on the deck of the tower? If so, did that mean that she was being accepted?

He struggled to remember the details- adrenaline had taken over in that moment, and all he could truly, clearly recall were her glaring eyes. Strikingly, unnaturally emerald green orbs that shot fire even through the sadness that resided behind them. He would think he'd remember something as glaringly obvious as a pair of wings, though.

If it really was the same girl...why hadn't she chased him?

Maybe that wasn't the right question.

Peter sighed, scrubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes and then running his fingers through already mussed hair.

Was it even his business?

* * *

"Can I have the wifi password?"

Vision jumped slightly at the sudden voice from behind him, and turned to see his charge offering him a phone. It was an old thing, barely able to be considered a smartphone, with a spiderwebbed screen and a chipped casing. The phone was unlocked and ready to be connected, but it was hard to even see the keyboard through the cracks and dead pixels.

Had she fished the thing out of a dumpster?

The machine-gone-man moved to speak, but Erika was already retracting her hand, face flushed. "You know what? Never mind, I-"

"I'll do better than that."

She blinked, words caught in her throat. "What?"

Vision reached over and pulled the phone from her hand, then threw it over his shoulder. It landed in the trash with a hollow clang. "Hey!" Erika gave him a horrified look and moved to run past him, but he held his arm out to block her path.

"Just trust me. Come on." He beckoned for her to follow, then, without looking to see if she would obey, started down the hall toward Tony's lab.

Ten minutes and a new Stark phone later, and they were sitting across from each other in the living room. Erika was curled on the couch with her knees to her chest, thin hands gripping the new phone and the quiet clicks of typing erupting from it as she set it up. She was still wearing the sweatshirt, the oversized hoodie absolutely swamping her and making her look almost less starved. More human. Only her tail, sticking out from under it and curling around her feet, broke the illusion.

He could see now how she had hidden for so long.

"Why do you hide your wings?" He asked softly after a moment.

He noticed the subtle twitching of her hood as he said that, her abnormal ear flaps causing the fabric to ripple as she pressed them to her head. She hadn't liked that question. Erika's green eyes briefly lifted from the screen, fingers pausing in their busy tapping. "Why do you care?"

"I'm just curious, I suppose, why even when you know you won't be judged you hide who you truly are."

The girl squinted at him, suspicion crossing her features. "What if I'm just cold?"

"But I know you're not," he responded, mechanical voice taking on a hint of annoyance at her avoidance. She was clearly sweating, yet seemed unwilling to remove the thick clothing.

Erika stared for a good minute before she shook her head. "It's none of your business," she ground out between gritted teeth, before sullenly returning her attention to the phone.

He had struck a nerve, it seemed.

Vision sighed, fingers tapping idly on the couch armrest. It might take a while for her to speak cordially with him...which was fine. His only worry was that she would be hesitant to open up to him more than others. After all, most of the Avengers had shared her sentiment about his unnatural nature, and it had taken even Tony a while to get used to his presence.

As if his whirling thoughts had summoned the man himself, the elevator doors dinged open and Tony stepped out of it. "Honey, I'm home!"

The girl jumped at his entrance, and the AI couldn't help but notice how she quickly slipped the phone into her sleeve, then hunched over and stared across the room at him as if she were a rabbit testing the patience of a hunting dog.

He arched an eyebrow at her as he slipped off his suit jacket and slung it over his shoulder. "You can have the phone, kid."

Erika bit the inside of her cheek abashedly and slowly slipped the device out of her sleeve.

"For a pickpocket, you're pretty bad at hiding your emotions," he remarked, continuing to speak as he kicked off his shoes and headed for the door. "Maybe work on that a bit."

Erika waited till he was out of sight, then poked her tongue out from between her teeth slightly in the first display of comfortable teasing she had shown since her arrival.

Perhaps she was becoming more used to the idea of living there. Vision listed his head to the side, then stood up and silently walked out of the room, deciding it was best if he left her to her own devices for now.

Besides...Wanda would be arriving soon, and he wanted to cook dinner.


End file.
